Rutland Sailabilty is a very special Charity that encourages and assists disabled people to enjoy freedom afloat – by providing specially-adapted sailing craft in order to help them to learn to sail, to sail for fun or sail competitively. Sailing vessels are fitted with customised and innovative adaptive mechanisms using battery-powered servo-motors etc to enable people with disabilities to manoeuvre and sail them.
Chicheley Chapter 607’s 1st Principal, E.Comp. Mark Ashley, is a regular user of the Rutland Charity’s sailing facilities at Rutland Water; indeed, sailing plays a significant part in his life and he loves the immense pleasure that it gives him despite his incapacity.
It was, therefore, very fitting that the Chapter should support the Charity and, on Thursday 8th August, a very proud E.Comp. Mark, accompanied by the Chapter’s Charity Steward, E.Comp. John Horrell (himself a keen sailor), presented a cheque for £400 to Andrew Painter (Treasurer – Rutland Sailabilty and himself a Leicestershire Mason) to facilitate the purchase of a new battery for one of their sailing craft.
(left to right) Mrs Sarah Forsyth (Fundraising Manager – Rutland Sailabilty), Andrew Painter (Treasurer, Rutland Sailabilty) and E.Comp. Mark Ashley (MEZ), E.Comp. John Horrell (Charity Steward).